Food waste disposal apparatus



Jan. 1, 1963 Filed Nov. 7. 1960 E. F. SHELL ET AL 3,071,329

FOOD WASTE DISPOSAL APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ERNEST F. SHELL BY& RoERTc. PnessLEY JR.

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THEHQ ATTORNEY Jan. 1, 1963 E. F. SHELL ET AL 3,071,329

FOOD WASTE DISPOSAL APPARATUS Filed Nov. 7. 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTORS ERNEST F. SHELL By ROBERT c. PREssLEY IR.

THEIR ATTORNEY United States Patent Oiitice 3,071,329 Patented Jan. l,1963 ration of New York Filed Nov. 7, 1960, Ser. No. 67,728 2 Claims.(Cl. 241-46) This invention relates to apparatus for the disposal ofwaste material wherein garbage and other kitchen wastes are comminutedin the presence of water by power driven comminuting means to a owablemixture and the result ant mixture flushed to the waste disposal systemof the house. While it is not limited thereto, this invention isconcerned with the provision of improvements in apparatus of this kindwhich may be mounted in the kitchen sink in position to discharge thecomminuted waste into the sink drain opening and in which position thekitchen faucet may be used to supply water to the apparatus for thecomminuting operation. More particularly, this invention is especially.applicable to and useful in the portable waste disposal apparatusdescribed and claimed in the co-pending application of Joubert Lindstromand Fred W. Moore filed concurrently herewith, Serial No. 67,630 andwhich is assigned to the General Electric Company, the assignee of thisapplication.

As described in the Lindstrom and Moore application that apparatus isarranged to seat in a kitchen sink over the sink drain opening, and itis provided with discharge opening means in the central .area of thedischarge charnber at the bottom of the apparatus for dischargingcomminuted material into the sink opening. This apparatus includescomminuting means above the discharge opening including a rotary wastematerial impeller. In operation, the impeller is operated to effect theshredding of the waste material by the comminuting means while water iscaused to flow through the apparatus, the particles of comminuted wastematerial entrained with the water ultimately passing through thedischarge opening at the bottom.

One diiliculty experienced with this type of apparatus is that the fluidmixture would tend to set up a vortex in the fluid mass in the dischargechamber .above and around the discharge opening. This vortex delayed thedischarge of the comminuted mass from the apparatus, thereby delayingthe completion of the comminuting operation and also at times preventingthe complete discharge of comminuted material from the apparatus, aresidue remaining at the location of the vortex. At times a vortex wouldbuild up to such an extent that it would not only delay discharge butactually would extend up into the comminuting area and interfere withthe comminuting action.

This invention contemplates the provision of drainage means whichcontrols the flow of comminuted waste material to the drainage openingto prevent the formation of vortices around the discharge opening and topositively guide the comminuted material to the discharge. In this waywe provide for the discharge of all the comminuted material for ecientand relatively quick operation and also at the same time insure that theapparatus will remain clean.

In accordance with this invention we provide generally spiral shapedguide means spiralling substantially from the outer side wall of thedischarge chamber to the discharge opening in the central area.A In oneform of this invention several discharge openings will be provided inthe central area, and in this case a separate spiral guide will beprovidedpfor each discharge opening.

For a more complete understanding of this invention reference should behad to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. l is an elevation of portable waste disposal apparatus embodyingthis invention, parts being shown in section so as to illustrate certaindetails of construction;

FIG. 2 is a sectional plan View taken through the line 2-2 of FIG. l andlooking in. the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken through the line 3-3 ofFIG. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrow; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional View taken through the line 4 4 ofFIG. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrow.

Referring to the drawings, this invention has been shown in one form `asapplied to the portable waste disposal apparatus for operation in akitchen sink described and claimed in the aforementioned application ofI. Lindstrom and Fred W. Moore. The bottom wall of the sink in which theapparatus may be operated is designated by the numeral l and the usualcold water faucet associated with the sink by the numeral 2. Thedisposal apparatus is arranged to comminute waste material supplied toit and discharge it into the sink drain 3 provided in the bottom wall 1,and it comminutes the waste material in the presence of water suppliedfrom the cold water faucet 2. The waste disposal apparatus comprises acomminuting unit 4, and a controllable power means 5 for driving thecomminuting means.

The unit 4 comprises a housing or hopper `6 which is i defined in partby a generally upright side wall 7 and a bottom wall 8. The walls may beshaped to give the hopper any suitable form such as the box-like formshown, that is, the hopper will be rectangular (substantially square) inhorizontal cross section, as shown in FIG. y2. The side wall 7preferably will be formed of a suitable resin, while the bottom wall,which will house the comminuting means, will be formed of a suitablemetal, such as cast aluminum. The bottom wall 8 preferably is ofcup-shape, as shown, being provided with an upright side wall portion l0nested within the lower part of the side wall 7 and positioned withrespect to it by an inner circular ridge 1l formed on the inside of theside wall. Interposed between the lower edge of side wall 7 and a ledgel2 on the bottom 8 is a decorative ring 13 formed of .a resilientmaterial such as rubber. The walls 7 and 8 and ring 13 may be securedtogether in vany suitable Way as by bonding or gluing.

The comminuting means is mounted within the cupshaped bottom wall 8. Anysuitable comminuting means may be used, but we prefer to use thecomminuting means disclosed in the United States patent to H. J.Macemon-2,S28,083, dated March 25, 1958 and assigned to the GeneralElectric Company, the assignee of this application. Brielly thecomminuting means comprises a stationary shredding ring i4 which isprovided with cutting surfaces i5 and two series of lower and upperapertures 16 and 17. The shredding ringis provided with an out-turnedilange l at the top sandwiched between the lower surface of rib l?. anda seat i9 provided for it in the upper edge of the side wall ltl ofbottom wall S, the flange 18 functioning to support the shredding ring.Co-acting with the shredding ring is a rotatable material impellingflywheel 7.0 which is provided With a pair of movable impellers 21arranged when the flywheel is rotated (counterclockwise looking down onthe flywheel in FIG. l) to impel the waste material against theshredding ring le to comminute the material to a iine mass. It will beunderstood that during this operation water will be caused to flow intoand through the hopper from `faucet 2, and that eventually the water andcomminuted material will be impelled outwardly through the apertures 16and 5 7 into an annular drain space 22 provided between ring t4 and Walll0 and thence downwardly into a drain chamber 23 under the flywheel 20.The drain chamber 23 drains through three equally spaced elongatedopenings 24 formed in the bottom wall 8 into the drain line 3 of thesink, over `which opening the apparatus will be positioned, as shown inFIG. 1; as shown in FIG. 2 the openings 24 are arranged in a circlearound the central vertical axis of the chamber Z3 and inthe centralarea of this chamber.

ln order to control the flow of comminuted material through thedischarge chamber 23 from the annular space 22 to the central dischargearea including the openings 24 in accordance with this invention thereare provided a series of spirally formed walls or ribs 25, one providedfor each opening 24. Each of these walls spirals in the direction ofrotation of the impellers Ztl (counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 2)from a point at the outer wall 1t) in toward the center to merge withthe leading end of its opening 24, the leading end being considered inthe sense of the direction of rotation of the fly wheel. The innersurface of the bottom wall tapers generally downwardly from the sidewall toward the central area like a funnel and so the bottom wall areasbetween the ribs 2.5 taper downwardly toward the center. The generaleffect is that spiral shaped areas 26 are provided between adjacent ribs25, these areas spiralling in the direction of rotation. The areas 26drop downwardly in elevation in the spiralling direction from a highlevel point 27 to a low level point at the associated opening 24 andeach area 26 inclined downwardly from the cuter spiral edge to thetighter inner spiral edge. Moreover, each area 26 gradually increases inwidth from the side wall toward the central areas.

These ribs 25 and surfaces 26 function to prevent the formation of avortex of fluid at the outer wall 1t) under the flywheel 2t); andfunction to guide continuously the comminuted material fed from space 22down toward the central openings 24. The ribs and surfaces thus controlthe flow of comminuted material to the drain, and in preventing theformation of a vortex of fluid actually materially increase the speed ofdelivery of comminuted waste material to the drain; and prevent theformation of residue deposit of comminuted material in chamber 23 whenthe comminuting operation is stopped.

An interrupter or flipper 28 is provided to prevent waste, such ascarrots, potatoes, lemons and the like from piling up against theshredding ring 14 and riding along it as a bearing so to speak. Theinterrupter causes the materials to be lifted off the shredding ringface and forces it to tumble around. This offers the shredding ring theopportunity successively to nibble away the edges of the mass.

The flywheel 20 is supported and driven by a driving shaft 29. Thisshaft is journalled in a bearing 3G provided `for it in the central axisof the bottom wall 8. Preferably the central area 31 of the flywheelwill be dished downwardly and it will constitute an upper thrust bearingfor the flywheel, while the lower end of the shaft is provided with ahead 3-2 which will constitute a lower thrust bearing. An impellerretainer 33 is threaded on the shaft 29 and received in the dished area31 of the flywheel to lock the flywheel to the shaft. The comminutingchamber 34 above the flywheel is defined by a metallic sleeve 35 formedas a frustrum of a cone. The shaft 29 extends vertically upwardlythrough the hopper 6 and is driven by the power means 5. The power meanspreferably will include a suitable electric motor (not shown) controlledby means of an on and off switch 36.

While we have shown and described a specific embodiment of ourinvention, we do not desire our invention to be limited to thisparticular construction shown, and we intend by the appended claims tocover all modifications within the true spirit and scope of ourinvention.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:

1. Food waste disposal apparatus comprising a housing having acomminuting chamber with an ingress opening for waste material and alsohaving a bottom wall ywith a vertically arranged discharge openinglocated generally in the central area thereof, comminuting means in saidcomminuting chamber including a rotating flywheel and a fixed shreddingelement surrounding the flywl eel, said flywheel being vertically spacedfrom said discharge opening and defining with the Said bottom wall adischarge chamber, means defining a passage for the discharge ofcomminuted material from said shreddirg element to' said dischargechamber, and said bottom wall having a flow interrupting vertical ribextending from the outer edge of said bottom wall to a point downstreamof said central discharge opening, the floor of the bottom wallgradually sloping down toward the central opening whereby the verticalrib and the sloping floor serve to prevent the formation of vortices insaid discharge chamber and to guide comminuted material into saiddischarge opening.

2. Food waste disposal apparatus comprising a housing having circularside and bottom walls defining a com minuting chamber open at the topfor the reception of waste material, and said bottom wall provided withmeans defining a plurality of elongated vertical discharge openingsspaced apart and arranged generally in a circle around a centralvertical axis of said chamber, comminuting means in said chamberincluding a stationary shredding ring, a flywheel rotatable on saidvertical axis and located above said bottom wall within said ring andconstituting the bottom of a comminuting chamber and establishing withthe bottom and side walls a discharge chamber, said flywheel whenrotated in a predetermined direction impelling waste material againstsaid shredding ring where it is comminuted and passes into the dischargechamber, and a series of vertical ribs on said bottom wall, one ribbeing related to each opening, each rib extending substantially 'fromsaid side wall to a point downstream from its related discharge opening,the area of the bottom wall between each adjacent pair of ribs slopingdownwardly from the side wall toward the central discharge openinglocated between the pair of ribs, said ribs and sloping bottom wallareas functioning to guide comminuted material to said openings andpreventing `the formation of vortices of said material on said bottomwall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

1. FOOD WASTE DISPOSAL APPARATUS COMPRISING A HOUSING HAVING ACOMMINUTING CHAMBER WITH AN INGRESS OPENING FOR WASTE MATERIAL AND ALSOHAVING A BOTTOM WALL WITH A VERTICALLY ARRANGED DISCHARGE OPENINGLOCATED GENERALLY IN THE CENTRAL AREA THEREOF, COMMINUTING MEANS IN SAIDCOMMINUTING CHAMBER INCLUDING A ROTATING FLYWHEEL AND A FIXED SHREDDINGELEMENT SURROUNDING THE FLYWHEEL, SAID FLYWHEEL BEING VERTICALLY SPACEDFROM SAID DISCHARGE OPENING AND DEFINING WITH THE SAID BOTTOM WALL ADISCHARGE CHAMBER, MEANS DEFINING A PASSAGE FOR THE DISCHARGE OFCOMMINUTED MATERIAL FROM SAID SHREDDING ELEMENT TO SAID DISCHARGECHAMBER, AND SAID BOTTOM WALL HAVING A FLOW INTERRUPTING VERTICAL RIBEXTENDING FROM THE OUTER EDGE OF SAID BOTTOM WALL TO A POINT DOWNSTREAMOF SAID CENTRAL DISCHARGE OPENING, THE FLOOR